Zero-carbon future for the Shipping Industry is achievable – Ricardo report

Transitioning the shipping industry to carbon-free fuels and renewable energy will eliminate emissions approximately equivalent to those of Japan or Germany while empowering local communities and economies

As part of Climate Week NYC, Ocean Conservancy has today released a new report, prepared by Ricardo, that presents a compelling case for the widespread adoption of ‘electrofuels’ to transition the international shipping industry from being one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gas emissions to a zero-carbon future. These electrofuels are synthetically derived from hydrogen or ammonia which are produced using renewable energy, as a drop-in replacement for fossil fuels.

“The climate crisis is already here and the shipping industry must do its part to transition away from fossil fuels now,” said Dan Hubbell, manager of Ocean Conservancy’s shipping emissions campaign. “A zero-carbon future for global shipping is possible with electrofuels playing an important role in delivering powerful benefits for people, economies and our planet.”

The Zero-Carbon for Shipping report, developed by Ricardo’s alternative energy experts, presents South and Central American case studies that demonstrate how existing technologies, such as electrofuels and renewable energy, will do a lot of the work required to transition the shipping industry to a zero-carbon future. South and Central America have a lively shipping industry with total imports and exports to the region respectively of around $1 trillion. Combined with increasing wind and other renewable energy sources, South and Central America are primed to lead the shipping industry away from fossil fuel dependency.